SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over birthright citizenship and the history and meaning of the 14th Amendment.
At the center of the hearing is an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day in office that attempts to ban automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to undocumented migrants. The 14th Amendment has long been understood to mean that anyone born in the U.S. is automatically a citizen.
Appellate attorney Jeff Lewis said Trump’s argument is that the 14th Amendment was never meant to apply as broadly as it does today, and that it was only meant to grant citizenship to freed slaves and their children.
"Should the Supreme Court rule in favor of the Trump administration, anyone born in the United States after February of 2025 that cannot establish their parents were lawfully here will have their citizenship revoked," Lewis said.
Lewis worries about the long-term implications if the court sides with that view.
"People who have been born in the United States, where their parents have questionable documentation, should have great cause to worry. It is hard for me to imagine the Trump administration showing grace and patience and not extending it backwards if they get the wiggle room to do that," Lewis said.
The fear of what could happen is hitting local DACA recipients in San Diego about their future.
"If at any point I wanted to have children, I would hope that my children would have the same opportunity as their neighbor born across the street," DACA recipient Diego Miranda said.
Miranda tells me there is a lot of uncertainty within the immigrant community and feels like they are constantly under attack.
"It’s definitely scary to be one of the people with a target on their back. You know I was raised like any other American except on paper and yet we’re not treated the same," Miranda said.
For now, the justices are listening and asking questions, but not making a decision just yet. A ruling is expected later this year. The outcome could change a rule that has been in place for generations.
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